Written Answers Thursday 25 September 2008

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that ambulance services in the Highlands and Islands are fit for purpose.

Nicola Sturgeon: Yes. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the Scottish Ambulance Service continues to provide safe, efficient and effective services to patients across Scotland, including those in the Highlands and Islands. It is also important that patients have confidence in the ambulance service’s ability to respond to emergencies.

  Most recently, the Scottish Government has provided an additional £4.7 million to allow the Scottish Ambulance Service to take forward their action plan to eliminate the rostered single crewing of traditional ambulances. This allows for an additional 20 frontline staff to be recruited in the north of Scotland. This government has acted decisively to address an issue of concern that has been on-going for some time, particularly in the Highlands.

Armed Forces

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on progress in the rehabilitation, rehousing and, where appropriate, employment and vocational training of service personnel wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and what monitoring there is to ensure that their concerns are addressed by the Scottish Government and other interested parties.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government recognises the very unique circumstances and sacrifices that we ask our servicemen and women to endure whilst similarly acknowledging the considerable contribution that they and the veterans’ community make to civic society in Scotland. That is why this Scottish Government is committed to improving the support available to and access to services for all our service personnel injured on operational duty.

  In June this year we published our paper entitled, Scotland’s Veterans and Forces’ Communities: meeting our commitment. This sets out a series of measures that the Scottish Government will put in place to improve the quality of life for armed forces’ personnel and their families stationed in Scotland and for our veterans’ community. These commitments cover a range of issues across the Scottish Government, including health care, mental health, education, training, housing, transport and employability.

  Alongside this work, we will continue to liaise closely with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and veterans’ organisations to ensure the delivery in Scotland of commitments contained within the MoD command paper The Nation’s Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans.

  Moreover, we will develop a robust implementation plan in consultation with our partners in order to maintain the momentum of progressing our proposals and will monitor the impact and effectiveness of their implementation. It is important that we co-operate fully with our partners to ensure that our actions are most appropriately meeting the needs and aspirations of service personnel and veterans, including those injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, including measures to address issues of rehabilitation, re-housing, employability and vocational training.

British Irish Council

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the First Minister’s commitment to the Parliament on 21 February 2008 ( Official Report c. 6246), it will publish the First Minister’s proposal paper to the British Irish Council in which he suggests that the council agree to take forward a new work sector on energy led by Scotland.

Linda Fabiani: The energy proposal paper has today been lodged with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46568).

Broadcasting

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what communication it has had with Bauer Media regarding its decision to centralise night-time broadcasting for its Scottish radio stations and any impact that this will have on jobs at those stations.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government has not had any direct communications with Bauer Media regarding its decision to centralise night-time broadcasting for its Scottish radio stations and any impact that this will have on jobs at those stations. We will continue to monitor the situation and discuss with Bauer Media as appropriate.

Broadcasting

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take regarding any impact on jobs following the decision by Bauer Media to centralise night-time broadcasting for its Scottish radio stations.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government has been advised by Bauer Media’s PR representatives that the impact on jobs will be minimal. A small number of freelance employees are being supported by Bauer Media in their endeavours to find new opportunities in broadcasting, either with Bauer or with other broadcasters, as a result of the centralisation of night-time broadcasting. We will continue to monitor the situation and discuss with Bauer Media as appropriate.

Cancer

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to raise awareness of oesophageal cancer.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government’s new cancer plan, Better Cancer Care , will be published soon. This will set out plans to improve the provision of information to cancer patients and carers as part of our commitment to supporting self-management and improving the patient’s experience.

  A range of actions are taking place to tackle the known risk factors for oesophageal cancer, such as alcohol, diet, smoking and deprivation.

Consumer Protection

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the UK Government regarding the compensation being made available to Scottish passengers left stranded or financially out of pocket as a result of XL ceasing trading, in light of any impact on financial inclusion in Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: We have made no representations to the UK Government on this matter. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing Scheme is a well established scheme for the protection of package holiday-makers if their tour operator or airline becomes insolvent. Other holiday-makers who pay through credit cards have some protection, while some travel insurance policies also provide airline insolvency protection. We acknowledge the efforts by the CAA to repatriate those XL passengers who were stranded as a result of the company’s insolvency.

Consumer Protection

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in support of an investigation into the operation of XL immediately before it ceased trading, in light of the impact of XL’s collapse on the local economy around Glasgow Airport.

Stewart Stevenson: The administrators of XL Leisure Group plc have a duty to consider the conduct of its directors. However, notwithstanding this, if any information were presented to us then we would pass this to the Companies Investigation Branch at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to consider.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why it does not measure functional literacy in primary and secondary pupils.

Maureen Watt: Information about pupils’ achievement in reading and writing is collected through the Scottish Survey of Achievement (SSA) in relation to pupils in P3, P5, P7 and S2 using current definitions of reading and writing from the 5-14 curriculum guidelines.

  As we move into Curriculum for Excellence, the SSA will be redesigned to reflect the development of pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy in accordance with the definition of literacy set out in the new guidance.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, given that it does not have a definition of functional literacy, how it, schools, parents and pupils ascertain whether a pupil can read.

Maureen Watt: The existing 5-14 curriculum guidelines enable the assessment of reading to provide information for Scottish Government, schools, parents and pupils.

  Improving literacy and numeracy skills is at the heart of the new framework under Curriculum for Excellence. Within the framework, literacy is defined as the set of skills which allows an individual to engage fully in society and in learning, through the different forms of language, and the range of texts, which society values and finds useful.

  Through the Scottish Survey of Achievement, the Scottish Government gathers sample information at national level about young people’s attainment in aspects of literacy.

  Schools have responsibility for assessing children’s attainment in all aspects of learning in the context of existing guidance and reporting to parents accordingly.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of P7 pupils do not achieve the appropriate 5-14 level in reading for understanding.

Maureen Watt: Level D is considered to be the level most pupils should be able to reach by the end of P7. It is recognised as a challenging level at which pupils should demonstrate an awareness of genre and a knowledge of language associated with literature, as well as the ability to read for both information and enjoyment.

  The Scottish Survey of Achievement (SSA) is the principal national source of information about pupils’ attainment in primary and early secondary stages.

  The most recently published results for reading were published in the 2006 SSA report, which can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/ssa2006report.

  According to this report, 48% of pupils were well established or better at Level D and 19% had made a good start at this level.

Education

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many twinning arrangements were in place between denominational and non-denominational schools at the start of 2008-09 school year, broken down by local authority.

Maureen Watt: This information is not collected centrally. However, the Scottish Government has published guidance promoting twinning arrangements between such schools and encouraging the resultant links between pupils and communities.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it knows what proportion of pupils leaving primary school cannot read or write.

Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-15210 and S3W-15212 on 19 August 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Emergency Planning

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual expenditure for pandemic preparedness was in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08; what it will be for 2008-09, and under which budget heading this funding occurs.

Shona Robison: In 2006-07 identifiable expenditure on pandemic flu preparedness was £10,739,435 from the Public Health and Workplace Health budget, £8,000 from the Civil Defence and Emergency Planning budget and £2,750 from the General Register Office for Scotland’s (GROS) budget.

  In 2007-08 identifiable expenditure was £5,236,505 from the Public Health and Workplace Health budget, £38,583 from the Civil Defence and Emergency Planning budget, £9,000 from the Scottish Prison Service and £2750 from GROS’ budgets.

  In 2008-09, resource funding of £8,000,000 and capital funding of £2,900,000 is available for pandemic flu preparedness from the Improving Health and Better Public Health budget. The estimated expenditure from the Civil Defence and Emergency Planning budget is £6,000.

  In 2007-08, there was a higher pandemic flu expenditure from the Civil Defence and Emergency Planning budget. This reflects a contribution towards a UK-wide programme of public engagement research.

  General pandemic preparedness work and associated expenditure in other areas of the Scottish Government is carried out as part of normal Scottish Government activity and separate costs are therefore not available.

Energy Efficiency

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to incentivise energy efficiency at (a) domestic level and (b) utility level for generation and transmission.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is taking a number of steps to incentivise energy efficiency.

  At a domestic level:

  We recently launched the Energy Saving Scotland advice network - a one-stop shop for advice on energy including energy efficiency, renewables and personal transport.

  We will launch a new "home-help" service in the autumn, which will remove the hassle factor by offering intensive and tailored face to face support to help people find home installation solutions that are right for them.

  We have secured the commitment of the energy companies to funding Scotland’s share of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT). This could be worth at least £107 million each year for home energy efficiency improvements and savings of £83 million each year in household fuel bills.

  We will be introducing the Home Report in December 2008 to raise awareness of energy efficiency at the point of house sale. This will signpost to the Energy Saving Scotland advice network to help households undertake improvements.

  We are committing £45 million each year over the next three years to continue to help tackle fuel poverty. We have already made thousands of Scottish homes warmer and more affordable to heat by installing energy efficiency measures through our fuel poverty programmes.

  In addition, the Scottish Government will be launching a consultation on further measures to improve the energy performance of existing homes later in the year.

  At the utility level for generation and transmission, this is largely a matter for the companies and organisations involved, although we are keen to see losses minimised and the promotion of energy efficiency wherever possible. We are also due to hold meetings shortly with the main energy supply firms to discuss how they might promote better energy demand and management with their major industrial and large-scale consumers.

Enterprise

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many contacts there have been to Business Gateway services since that responsibility was transferred to local authorities.

Jim Mather: In total there have been 12,295 contacts to Business Gateway services, during the period 1 April 2008 to 31 August 2008. This includes contacts made to the Business Gateway website, the Business Gateway enquiry service and to Business Gateway services delivered under local contracts.

  This compares with a total of 12,014 contacts over the same period in 2007.

Enterprise

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all publicly-funded business support schemes, also detailing the (a) amount of funding allocated to each scheme in the current and next two financial years, (b) public body or agency responsible for its operation and (c) percentage of eligible businesses that made use of it in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Mather: There is a range of publicly-funded business support schemes available from the Scottish Government, its non-departmental public bodies, local authorities, the UK Government and the European Union. Within the Scottish Government, the Enterprise, Energy and Tourism portfolio has direct responsibility for business support.

  No information is held centrally by the Scottish Government on the publicly-funded business support for local authorities, UK Government and the European Union.

  Businesses can apply to Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise for funding support for growth and development. As this is an operational matter for both organisations I will ask both chief executives to write to you in this regard.

  The following business support schemes are delivered by the Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Directorate.

  Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) is the main national grant scheme aimed at encouraging investment and job creation. Grant allocated for this financial year is £43.2 million and is the same for the next two financial years.

  SMART: SCOTLAND and R&D Grants are aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises to help support research and development of commercially viable projects which represent a significant technological advance. Grant allocated for this financial year is £8.8 million and is the same for the next two financial years.

  Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme (WATESS). This £13 million scheme was launched in 2006 to provide grants to businesses to support the installation and commissioning / deployment of pre-commercial wave and tidal electricity generating devices and components at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. The closing date for applications was 17 November 2006. £12.17 million is allocated in the current and next two financial years.

  The Renewable Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Support Scheme. This £1.5 million scheme was launched in 2006 to provide grants to deploy and demonstrate renewable hydrogen and fuel cell technology. The aim of the scheme is to develop off-grid capacity and market opportunities / applications for renewable hydrogen and fuel cells in Scotland. Research groups and other organisations which are also eligible have been awarded grants as well as businesses. £108,000 is allocated for the current and next two financial years.

  Energy Saving Trust (EST) offers interest-free loans to small businesses, helping them to reduce carbon emissions and save energy. £2 million has been allocated to this programme for the current financial year. The need for future support is being monitored.

  Energy Saving Scotland Advice Network, is a one stop shop offering advice to small businesses and householders on all aspects of sustainable energy. The network will receive £3.5 million in this financial year, an estimated £539,000 of which will be directly attributable to support for business. In addition to this, there will be indirect spend on business support via the network which cannot be separated from total spend. The Scottish Executive intends to continue sponsorship of EST and the Network for the next two financial years.

  The Carbon Trust provides energy efficiency advice and support to larger energy users in the business and public sector. It is estimated that £1.9 million of this programme will be spent on business support in the current financial year. A similar level of funding is anticipated in the next two financial years. The Carbon Trust also supports a range of UK-wide activity which may include funding to Scottish companies.

  SEEKIT, Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Genesis Faraday, Intellectual Asset Centre and Innovator Counselling and Advisory Service for Scotland programmes administered under one budget heading, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation. This also includes ad-hoc expenditure on activities normally supported under the 1965 Science & Technology Act.

  Funding allocated for Knowledge Exchange and Innovation is £7.9 million for each financial year between 2008-09 to 2010-11.

  Information is not held on the percentage of businesses eligible for support under these schemes.

Enterprise

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on business support in each of the last five years and, of this, how much was spent on the administration of each support programmes.

Jim Mather: Within the Scottish Government, the Enterprise, Energy and Tourism portfolio has direct responsibility for business support and its schemes. Below are details of amounts it has spent on business support schemes and associated administration costs (where available).

  Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise would also have had offered business support in this period. As this is an operational matter for both organisations I will ask both chief executives to write to you in this regard.

  Regional Selective Assistance (£ Million)

  

 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin


 44.2*
 1.0
 43.9*
 0.9
 43.8*
 1.0
 43.7*
 1.0
 42.8*
 1.0



  Note: *Figures given on an accruals basis.

  Innovation Grants (£ Million)

  

 Scheme
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Grant
 Grant
 Grant
 Grant
 Grant


 SART
 2.7
 2.5
 2.2
 2.1
 1.2


 SPUR
 3.7
 4.6
 5.7
 3.9
 3.9


 SCORE
 
 
 0.1
 0.4
 0.2


 SART Scotland - Development
 
 
 
 
 0.2


 SART Scotland - Feasibility
 
 
 
 
 0.6



  It is not possible to show the administration expenditure for each grant programme. In each year the total administration costs for the innovation grants are as follows; 2003-04 - £0.5 million; 2004-05 - £0.5 million; 2005-06 - £0.6 million; 2006-07 - £0.6 million and 2007-08 - £0.4 million.

  Energy

  

 Support Scheme
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Grant
 Grant
 Grant
 Grant
 Grant


 Wave and Tidal Energy 
 
 
 
 
£0.98m


 Renewable Hydrogen & Fuel Cell
 
 
 
 
£0.95m*


 Scottish Biomass
 
 
 
 
£5.5m


 Talisman Energy**
 
£193,000
 
 
£2.5m



  Notes:

  *Figures for the Renewable Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Support Scheme include payments to research groups and other organisations as well as businesses.

  **Talisman Energy is not a grant scheme. This is a unique research grant offered to Talisman Energy for experimental deep water offshore wind farm.

  These schemes are administered by the Renewable Policy Unit of the Energy and Telecoms Division of the Scottish Government. Administration costs for running these schemes cannot be identified separately from the total running costs of the Energy and Telecoms Division.

  Energy Efficiency

  Loan Action Scotland (£)

  

 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin


 419,000
 48,000
 368,000
 43,000
 217,000
 57,000
 727,000
 78,000
 1.57m
 96,000



  Business Advisor Network (£)

  

 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin


£89,000
 *
£93,000
 *
£381,000
 *
£515,000
£97,000
£573,000
£97,000



  Note: *Administration costs relating to the Business Advisor Network from 2003-04 through to 2005-06 cannot be identified separately from total running costs of the Scottish Energy Efficiency Office, who administered the programme, or elements of it, during this period.

  Certain elements of the administration costs associated with Loan Action Scotland and the Business Advisor Network relate to the marketing and development of these services, rather than to core administration costs. These elements cannot be further disaggregated from the figures provided.

  Carbon Trust (£)

  

 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin
 Grant
 Admin


£0.8m*
£24,000*
£0.9m*
£27,000*
£1.2m*
£36,000*
£1.6m*
£48,000*
£1.8m*
£54,000*



  Note: *Carbon Trust expenditure on support for business has been estimated. These costs cannot be identified separately from total Scottish Government funding of the Carbon Trust, as this is used to support both the business and public sector.

  Knowledge Exchange and Innovation (£ Million)

  

 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Grant
 Grant
 Grant
 Grant
 Grant


 1.8
 2.4
 3.1
 4.1
 5.1



  The Knowledge Exchange and Innovation budget includes expenditure on the SEEKIT, Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Genesis Faraday, Intellectual Asset Centre and Innovator Counselling and Advisory Service for Scotland schemes plus ad-hoc activity normally funded under the provisions of the 1965 Science and Technology Act. Most of this support activity was delivered by outside agencies and detailed information on administration costs is not held by the Scottish Government. The Business Growth & Innovation Division of the Scottish Government incurred a small amount of administrative expenditure on these schemes, as part of its broader activity on business growth and innovation policy work.

Fair Trade

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which fair trade products are used by its catering services.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government catering service offers ethically traded products whenever possible. Those currently available are:

  Fairtrade tea

  Fairtrade brown and white sugar sticks

  Fairtrade and ethically traded coffee

  Green leaf orange and apple juice

  Geo bars

  Divine chocolate bars

  Assorted cookies.

First Minister

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which primary schools have been visited by the First Minister since May 2007.

Maureen Watt: The First Minister has visited the following primary schools since May 2007:

  

 Name of School
 Location
 Date


 Parsons Green
 Edinburgh
 27 June 2007


 St Margaret’s
 Loanhead
 2 November 2007


 Windygoul
 Tranent
 14 November 2007


 Calderwood Lodge
 Newlands
 5 December 2007


 Bun–sgoil Ghaidhlig Inbhir Nis
 Inverness
 11 January 2008


 New Struan *
 Alloa
 5 March 2008


 Sleat 
 Skye
 26 August 2008


 Royal Blind School *
 Edinburgh
 2 September 2008


 Donaldson’s School*
 Edinburgh
 17 September 2008



  Note: *New Struan, Donaldson’s School and Royal Blind School are all through schools with both primary and secondary departments.

First Minister

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which secondary schools have been visited by the First Minister since May 2007.

Maureen Watt: The First Minister has visited the following secondary schools since May 2007:

  

 Name of School
 Location
 Date


 New Struan *
 Alloa
 5 March 2008


 Mearns Castle High School
 Newton Mearns
 17 April 2008


 Royal Blind School *
 Edinburgh
 2 September 2008


 Donaldson’s School*
 Edinburgh
 17 September 2008



  Note: *New Struan, Donaldson’s School and Royal Blind School are all through schools with both primary and secondary departments.

Health

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had on the issue of co-payments for health care.

Nicola Sturgeon: The issue of co-payments for health care has been considered recently by the Petitions Committee. The Scottish Government responded to the Committee on 3 September 2008. Specifically, in relation to co-payments, the current guidance issued to NHS boards will be reviewed to ensure patient safety, clinical accountability and probity remain uppermost in decisions regarding the planning and provision of care.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15572 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 September 2008, when annual reviews were last held in public by Scottish ministers with National Services Scotland and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and what issues were discussed.

Shona Robison: The 2008 annual review for NHS Quality Improvement Scotland was held on Tuesday 16 September 2008 and the 2008 Annual Review for National Services Scotland was held on 22 September 2008.

  The agendas for reviews are structured around the board’s performance against key actions identified at the previous annual review and major strategic issues. They consider progress against key targets and reporting items as set out in local delivery plans.

  Both reviews also addressed the roles of these boards in tackling healthcare associated infection.

  Reviews take place openly and in public and the outcome letters are published by each NHS board within their annual report.

Homelessness

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors changes in the number of households threatened with homelessness through actions for repossession.

Stewart Maxwell: National homelessness statistics collected by local authorities on a case-by-case basis are the main mechanism by which changes in the number of households threatened with homelessness, and the reasons for this, are monitored. Statistics relating to 2007-08 will be published next week.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to inspect hospitals to ensure compliance with healthcare associated infection standards.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am committed to establishing rigorous, coherent and searching inspection arrangements without delay. These will provide open and transparent reporting that reaches down to ward level with stronger accountability and robust follow up. Detailed plans are being developed for consultation and I plan to make a further announcement in due course.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15571 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 September 2008, whether NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde followed up on the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland inspection of May 2005, which showed that NHS Argyll and Clyde had not met 40 of the 69 criteria for hospital-acquired infections and, if so, what action was taken and when.

Nicola Sturgeon: The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland arrangements existing at that time were commissioned by the previous administration.

  I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that the Argyll and Clyde area infection control committee progressed a number of the actions raised in the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report through the action plan based on the NHS code of practice for the local management of hygiene and healthcare associated infection. The member will wish to approach NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for information on the specific actions that were taken.

  NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will be scrutinised against our revised NHS quality improvement healthcare associated infection standards which were published in March 2008.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15613 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 September 2008, when the Outbreak Control Team will report and whether the report will be published.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15591 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 September 2008, whether the report from the Outbreak Control Team will be published after it has been shared with the area procurator fiscal.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am informed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that the draft of the report of the Outbreak Control Team is being finalised. It is not possible to confirm the publication date as yet.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15590 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 September 2008, whether it considers that guidance issued by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service should now contain a requirement to report deaths from Clostridium difficile.

Elish Angiolini QC: The current version of this guidance, entitled Death and the Procurator Fiscal , was issued in 1998. The categories of death that require to be reported to the Procurator Fiscal in terms of this guidance are currently under review and revised guidance will be published in due course.

Housing

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new affordable houses will be made available by 2011 as a result of the £100 million from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme, broken down by local authority area.

Stewart Maxwell: In allocating this accelerated funding we will prioritise bringing forward new construction but will also spend on off the shelf units and land acquisitions where this is strategically sensible and offers good value for money. Allocations will be made to projects rather than to specific local authority areas. This re-profiling of spend will have a neutral affect on total unit approvals for the three year spending review period.

Housing

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses in each local authority area are not expected to achieve the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by the end of 2015.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  According to the information provided to us by landlords the number of properties which are not expected to achieve the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) by the end of 2015 is 9,086.

  Landlords can request that their properties be exempt from meeting the standard. Exemptions may be granted if a landlord can demonstrate that the works required would not be technically feasible or would only be possible at a disproportionate cost.

  The following table provides the information of how many dwellings in each local authority area are not expected to meet the SHQS by the end of 2015.

  Number of Dwellings Not Expected to Meet SHQS by End of 2015 (Projected) *

  

 Name of Local Authority
 


 Aberdeen City
 0


 Aberdeenshire
 0


 Angus
 0


 Argyll and Bute
 20


 City of Edinburgh
 1,627


 City of Glasgow
 4,317


 Clackmannanshire
 0


 Dumfries and Galloway
 0


 Dundee City
 83


 East Ayrshire
 54


 East Dunbartonshire
 42


 East Lothian
 0


 East Renfrewshire
 0


 Falkirk
 55


 Fife
 0


 Highland
 0


 Inverclyde
 10


 Midlothian
 0


 Moray 
 0


 North Ayrshire
 0


 North Lanarkshire
 1,723


 Orkney Islands
 0


 Perth and Kinross
 628


 Renfrewshire
 18


 Scottish Borders
 3


 Shetland Islands
 4


 South Ayrshire
 145


 South Lanarkshire
 139


 Stirling
 5


 West Dunbartonshire
 213


 Western Isles
 0


 West Lothian
 0


 Total
 9,086



  Source: Annual performance statistical return 2006-07 submission and local authority standard delivery plans (SDPs).

  Note: *The table includes both dwellings which landlords have formally requested exemptions for and those for which we have still to complete discussions. Landlords will continue to review progress and the final figure is likely to change. The table also does not include information from those local authorities who are in the process of submitting their SDPs.

Housing

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make open-market Homestake available in Glasgow.

Stewart Maxwell: The new open-market shared equity pilot scheme (OMSEP) was launched in January 2008. The scheme is now available in ten local authority areas where there are affordability problems for first time buyers caused by a shortage in housing supply. OMSEP includes a number of changes which have been made as a result of the findings of the evaluation of the former open-market Homestake pilot scheme to improve the targeting of the new scheme.

  The Scottish Government wishes to test the operation of the new pilot scheme in different types of urban and rural pressured housing markets before considering expanding the number of areas where the scheme operates.

Immigration

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to the UK Government to ensure that the Immigration and Nationality Directorate is familiar with the relevant Scottish qualifications that meet the requirements of UK citizenship to avoid Scotland-based applications for citizenship being returned unprocessed.

Fiona Hyslop: I have already written to the Home Secretary asking that she take suitable steps to resolve the inconsistent processing by Home Office officials of applications from learners who have studied SQA qualifications.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reoffending rate after two years is for offenders who have completed community sentences.

Kenny MacAskill: Reconviction rates of offenders who successfully completed a community sentence is not held centrally. However, reconviction rates of offenders who were sentenced to a community sentence can be provided.

  The two year reconviction rate of offenders who were sentenced to a community sentence (community service order, probation order, restriction of liberty order, drug treatment and testing order or supervised attendance order) in 2004-05 was 55%.

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reviewed the operation of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 in relation to access rights and whether it intends to bring forward proposals for amendment.

Michael Russell: We continue to monitor the practical operation of access rights. We see no need to bring forward any amendments to the statutory provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Livestock

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a ministerial statement about the future of the Bull Hire Scheme.

Michael Russell: Ministers are publishing their response to the final report of the Committee of Inquiry into Crofting today, 1 October, including a response to the Committee’s recommendation on the future of the Bull Hire Scheme. The Minister for Environment will also make a statement to Parliament on the response.

Ministerial Meetings

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the chair of NHS Forth Valley.

Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government Officials meet regularly with NHS Forth Valley to discuss a wide range of issues.

  I last met the chair of NHS Forth Valley at a regular monthly meeting of NHS chairs on 22 September 2008. The Minister for Public Health, Shona Robison MSP, will carry out the Annual Review of NHS Forth Valley on 30 September 2008.

NHS Staff

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average hourly rate of pay is for hospital cleaning staff employed by NHS boards and what information it has on average rates for cleaning staff delivering contracted-out services.

Nicola Sturgeon: Domestic staff are employed by NHS boards under the terms of the Agenda for Change terms and conditions agreement. There are different levels of domestic staff with differing levels of responsibility. Generally, Domestic Support Workers are on Band 1 of Agenda for Change with a pay range of between £12,517 to £13,617 (£6.40 per hour to £6.96 per hour based on a 37.5 hour working week); Domestic Support Worker Higher Level are on Band 2 with a pay range between £12,922 to £15,950 (£6.61 per hour to £8.16 per hour); Domestic Team Leaders are also on Band 2 and Domestic Team Managers are on band 3 with a pay range between £14,834 to £17,732 (£7.59 per hour to £9.07 per hour).

  We do not hold information centrally on staff delivering contracted out services. However, an agreement is in place which removes any "two tierism" from the provision of pay and terms and conditions of service. This means that domestic staff delivering contracted out services receive the same or similar pay and terms and conditions as NHS employees. The agreement was reached in November 2006 and followed acceptance by trade union members in a ballot.

National Conversation

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of each meeting on Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation held since January 2008

Nicola Sturgeon: The National Conversation has stimulated a wide ranging debate about Scotland’s constitutional future involving academics, voluntary organisations, faith groups, local government, trade unions, business media and the public. The Scottish Government does not hold information about the cost of events organised by others.

  The following table shows events held since January 2008 which were organised or involved the Scottish Government. It also shows the cost of events directly organised by the government. Costs relating to National Conversation events held as part of the Cabinet’s summer programme have not yet been finalised.

  Young Scot and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations have received funding of £50,000 and £37,000 respectively over two financial years to carry out National Conversation activity and events. The cost of individual events is met from within this allocation.

  

 Date
 Event
 Cost


 4 February 
 First Minister launches Scotland in the World Forum at Aberdeen University
 Costs met by organiser


 13 February 
 First Minister National Conversation speech at Trinity College, Dublin 
 Costs met by organiser


 12 March 
 SCVO National Conversation event in Edinburgh
 *


 26 March 
 First Minister launches National Conversation Civic engagement programme at Edinburgh University
£8,400


 1 April 
 First Minister National Conversation speech Scotland Week University of Virginia address
 Costs met by organiser 


 23 April 
 First Minister leads Scotland in Europe seminar
£1,700


 3 May 
 Bruce Crawford Church Without Walls event
 Costs met by organiser


 19 June 
 Church leaders event in Parliament 
£106


 20 June 
 Bruce Crawford addresses SCVO event at SECC 
 *


 29 July 
 First Minister and Cabinet event in Dumfries 
 NA


 1 August 
 Young Scot event in East Ayrshire 
 *


 5 August 
 First Minister and Cabinet event in Inverness 
 NA


 7 August
 Young Scot event in Stranraer
 *


 19 August 
 First Minister and Cabinet event in Pitlochry 
 NA


 23 August 
 Young Scot event in Irvine 
 *


 26 August 
 First Minister and Cabinet event in Skye 
 NA


 30 August 
 Young Scot event in Inverurie 
 *


 8 Sept 
 SCVO event in Uist 
 *



  Note: *Costs met from within the allocation of Scottish Government funding to Young Scot and the SCVO.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies have been set up since May 2008.

John Swinney: There have been no non-departmental public bodies set up since May 2008. Further details on non-departmental public bodies can be found on the following website:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/introduction.

Police

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines there are for police forces in relation to the independent scrutiny of the translation into English of evidence in other languages.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16320 on 24 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Prison Service

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners within the prison estate have been issued with injection packs.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Prison Service has never issued injection packs. However, the issue of Harm Reduction Packs was piloted in HM Prison, Aberdeen for prisoners already engaged in injecting behaviour.

Rail Freight

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much John G Russell (Transport) Ltd is receiving to move freight from road to rail and what the sources are of this funding, broken down by Scottish Government programme.

Stewart Stevenson: John G Russell (Transport) Ltd has this year received freight facilities grant (FFG) support of £183,979 from the Scottish Government in connection with the development of a rail freight facility at Hillington. The company has also been awarded FFG of up to £1,842,617 by the Scottish Government in 2008 for the development of a rail freight terminal in Inverness and a future daily rail freight service between Coatbridge and Inverness.

  The company also received funding totalling £562,997 in 2007-08 under the rail environmental benefits procurement scheme (intermodal) (REPS (I)) to support four rail freight services operating between the English midlands and the Scottish central belt. This grant was awarded by the UK Department for Transport, with a contribution of £59,572 from the Scottish Government. The Department for Transport has also awarded REPS (I) support of up to £561,774 in 2008-09 and £505,587 in 2009-10 for the same traffic. The Scottish Government contribution will be up to £59,442 in 2008-09 and up to £53,497 in 2009-10.

  The Scottish Government has also awarded to the company REPS (I) support of up to £75,870 in 2008-09 and £182,100 in 2009-10 for a rail freight service between Coatbridge and Inverness.

  All these grants are to support the movement of freight from road to rail. Scottish Government funding is drawn from its support for the freight industry programme.

Schools

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which schools in Edinburgh and the Lothians have been approved for the first step in the process for replacement since May 2007.

Maureen Watt: These are matters for the relevant councils. The Scottish Government does not commission or approve individual school building projects.

Scottish Futures Trust

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in taking forward the Scottish Futures Trust.

John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust has been established and we have appointed Sir Angus Grossart as its Chair. Sir Angus is moving forward the work needed to deliver the objectives set out for the trust in the Business Case we published in May. Key appointments and core staffing needs are being identified.

  The SFT will engage with delivery and funding issues across a wide range of infrastructure sectors. The formation of at least two "community hubs", including primary/community care facilities, will be an early priority.

Scottish Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether adjustments have been made to its Rural Directorate budget this year that required adjustments to the budget of any of its agencies and, if so, how much and what adjustments were made.

Michael Russell: No such adjustments have been made. The budget lines set out in the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 , including the current year’s budget, have been re-aligned in the Scottish Budget: Draft Budget 2009-10 to reflect more clearly the portfolio directorate structures and programmes, but no adjustments have been made to the budget of any of the organisations sponsored by Rural Directorate.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times Scottish ministers have met the Scottish Football League to discuss sectarianism since 17 May 2007.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times Scottish ministers have met the Scottish Premier League to discuss sectarianism since 17 May 2007.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times Scottish ministers have met the Scottish Football Association to discuss sectarianism since 17 May 2007.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government has on-going dialogue with the football authorities to discuss a range of issues, including sectarianism.

Teachers

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support there is to assist teaching graduates who are unable to find full-time work after completing a probationary year.

Maureen Watt: The employment of teachers is a matter for local authorities. Teaching posts occur throughout the year.

Waste Management

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how each local authority is managing its green and brown waste outputs and whether these arrangements are set against national targets.

Michael Russell: Management of municipal waste is a matter for each local authority. Green waste (household garden waste) is collected by local authorities for composting and the outputs can be used for soil conditioning or land restoration. Where compost is used in this manner it counts towards recycling performance and can be set against national targets.

Waste Management

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds information for each local authority on where waste is disposed of when it has been collected from the kerbside.

Michael Russell: Each local authority is responsible for making its own waste disposal arrangements and this information is not held centrally.

Waste Management

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when waste disposal contracts for local authorities will be renewed and under what process.

Michael Russell: Local authorities are each responsible for their own waste disposal contracts and therefore the Scottish Government does not hold details of when contracts will be re-tendered.

  The main statutory instrument that governs the procurement process for larger scale contracts is the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and this should be used where appropriate.

Wildlife

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm its continuing commitment to fox clubs.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what payments have been or will be made to fox clubs in the Highlands and Islands by the Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10.

Michael Russell: The payments made by the Scottish Government in support of fox destruction clubs located in the Highlands and Islands for the periods 2006-07 and 2007-08 were as follows:

  (a) 2006-07 - £31,765.95.

  (b) 2007-08 - £32,440.62.

  The estimated payment for the period 2008-09 is:

  (c) 2008-09 - £38,756.52.

  We have sought views whether this scheme should continue beyond the current financial year.

Wildlife

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to crofters and farmers in the Highlands and Islands to control fox numbers.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government currently provides financial assistance to fox destruction clubs by paying 50% of the costs incurred by the organisations recognised by the scheme. This scheme was established to assist in controlling the predation of lambs by foxes and has been operating since 1978. The scheme in its present form has been operating since 1 April 1998 and aims to encourage land owners and occupiers of land to take co-operative action to control fox populations for this purpose. The Scottish Government has been reviewing the case for continuation of this support given the wide range of opportunities available to land managers for securing support under the Scotland Rural Development Programme.

Wildlife

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has carried out with crofters and farmers in the Highlands and Islands regarding the control of predatory foxes in that area.

Michael Russell: We wrote to each of the 22 recognised fox destruction clubs in May 2008 to inform them of the likelihood that funding to support their activities would no longer be available after spring 2008. We received only one response to this letter.